


The Snow Storm

by SarahShalomDavid



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Pandemics, Plague, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 05:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14013336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahShalomDavid/pseuds/SarahShalomDavid
Summary: The snow continues to fall outside as it covers the city of New York in a blanket of white beauty and the children are wanting to go outside and play in it as they would any other time that they had a snow day but this time it is different. This time they cannot go out and play in the fluffy white flakes that have descended from the skies above. It is simply too risky.





	The Snow Storm

The snow continues to fall outside as it covers the city of New York in a blanket of white beauty and the children are wanting to go outside and play in it as they would any other time that they had a snow day but this time it is different. This time they cannot go out and play in the fluffy white flakes that have descended from the skies above. It is simply too risky. 

It started five days ago; snow was starting to fall over the city causing excitement in all of the children who might get time off of school and dread in the parents who would struggle to get into work or to travel anywhere. It was light at first. The first couple of days were nothing but a flurry, however, something was not quite right about the white weather. 

People were starting to report to hospitals and doctor surgeries where they complained of burns on their skin. The burns grew as time went on, even if they had not been outside after the first incident. On the third day, the news reporters started to announce that there was something wrong with the snow, the government were finally admitting that not everything was okay with it. It was also the third day that things began to get even worse because it was the third day that people began to die from whatever plague the innocent looking snow was raining down on the area. 

Miranda, Andrea, Cassidy, and Caroline had all been lucky because none of them had been outside in those initial three days so they were never touched by the white flakes before the announcements began to flood the television broadcasting. Usually, they would have been outside during that time but both of the young girls were ill with a stomach bug so the two women had stayed home to take care of them. 

Despite the fact that they had been throwing up and despite the fact that the time they had been ill was miserable for them, both girls were glad that they had been ill because they knew that if they had not then it would have been much worse for them all. They would be ill too or worse like some of their friends. 

According to the news out of the more than 8.5 million people residing in New York City, 7 million had reported burns at various stages and severity whilst almost 4 million had already died from the disease being spread by the snow. Almost half of the population of New York City was gone. 

The hospitals were understaffed and were overfilled whilst the morgue was overflowing. Specialist forces had been pulled in from various locations and each of them had to wear protective gear in order to be outside. Extra hospitals had been set up in what looked like field hospitals in a war with decontamination showers for anyone who was touched by even a flake of snow although the showers were nothing but a placebo to make residents feel a little better because once you were touched by the snow, it was too late. One flake was all it would take and the more flakes that touched you the worse it was and the quicker death came. 

The scientists that were left were working around the clock in order to try and understand what was happening as well as to find a cure so that no more people would die from the mystery plague. Samples of the deadly snow were sent to labs in other locations too with huge warning labels taped all over the packaging, the idea was that these other scientists might have an idea that helped even more. 

Meteorologists at the same time were trying to work out how the snow was managing to spread the plague that it had bought by tracking where the clouds had originated from, but it was harder than they thought because nowhere else had reported such a disease being spread, especially by snow. 

Five days later and still there had been no cure or vaccine that had been produced or that was even ready to be tested on humans because they simply did not understand the characteristics of the disease, and nor had the weather phenomenon been fully translated into an explanation. 

Cassidy and Caroline were stood at the window of their living room, "I wish we could go out and play", Cassidy said with a heavy sigh, "We could use those toboggans that Ma got us". 

"I'm not sure tobogganing is worth being burned to death Cass", Caroline said as she pressed her hand to the cold glass window. 

Outside they could see the streets covered in snow where the only tracks in it were the tracks from the army vehicles that had gone through. Windows and doors could not be opened because they risked a flake blowing in from the outside so all the military could do was patrol the neighbourhoods and ensure the safety of the citizens that way.The snow looked beautiful though and so tempting to the children. 

"I know", Cassidy said with another sigh, "But can you imagine? Snowmen and sliding down the hills at the park". 

Caroline nodded, "It does sound fun". 

The girls hated being trapped inside, luckily they still had power, unlike parts of the city, but that was only because Miranda had backup generators for her townhouse which many people did not. 

Andrea was sat staring at the open fire, deep in thought when Miranda came and sat beside her pregnant wife. The white-haired woman placed her hand on the rather large bump which currently contained their little girl. Andrea was eight months along in her pregnancy and they were all concerned that she would go into labour before what was being referred to as the 'Snow-Plague' was over. If she did then there would not be a hospital that they could go to because all of the hospitals were overfilled already and they knew that she would not get the help that she needed if anything were to go wrong. 

"What are you thinking about, my darling?", Miranda asked softly as Andrea leaned her head over so that it was resting on the other woman's shoulder. 

"I'm trying to work out a way that we aren't trapped", Andrea said simply. 

Miranda nodded, "Have you had any ideas?". 

"Yes", came the instant response from the younger woman, "I think I have a plan worked out". 

"Care to share?", the Editor-in-Chief enquired patiently. 

"The cars are in the garage under the house, right?", she asked as she continued to watch the fire. 

Miranda nodded in confirmation, "Yes". 

"So, what if we were to fill the car with as much as we could and then drive out to our house in the Hamptons?", Andrea suggested as she looked up at her wife, "According to the news the snow isn't there so we would be safe from it". "We already have a lot of clothing and things at the house and there are stores nearby too", she highlighted before running her hand over her stomach, "It would be better for us when this little one comes too". "They are letting vehicles out of the city now because they've set up decontamination stop points outside of the city so we just have to drive through the warm water car washes", she said with a smile. 

The older woman nodded, "Then, I guess we better start packing", she said softly, "We will pack what we need today and then we shall leave in the morning. That way we will have enough time to pack without having to rush and we will not have to travel in the dark either". 

Andrea nodded and tugged Miranda closer in order to kiss her lovingly on the lips, "I love you so much". 

"I love you too, my darling", the other woman responded without any hesitation as she ran her hand over where her unborn baby was still growing. 

"Girs", Andrea called out to them both as they both were sat on the seat by the large window that looked out onto the street. 

Cassidy and Caroline came running straight away, "Yes Ma?", Cassidy said with a smile as she sat at the edge of Andy's lap and Caroline climbed into Miranda's. 

"How would you like to get out of here?", Andrea asked them as she put her arms around Cassidy's waist in order to prevent her falling on the floor, the difficult thing about the pregnancy was the fact that she could not hold her daughters or her wife as close to her as she wanted to. 

"But we can't", Caroline stated, "Unless you want to die of course". 

Miranda smiled, "Andrea has found a way". 

"Really?", both girls questioned with excitement in their eyes. 

Andrea nodded, "Today we will pack up whatever we want to take with us and put it into the Bentley Bentayga as that has four-wheel drive and should be perfect for getting through all of this snow as well as for the journey", she said softly, "Then in the morning we will drive out of the city and head out to our house in the Hamptons". 

"There isn't snow there?", Cassidy questioned. 

"Didn't you see the map on the news?", Caroline questioned, "It's just New York City, that's why it has so many of those scientists confused because it shouldn't happen that way". 

"That's right", Andrea said with a soft smile, "Which means that when we get to the Hamptons that you can go outside and play, although you can't build a snowman or go tobogganing like I promised you whilst you were ill". 

"That's okay", Caroline said with a smile, "We've changed our mind about playing in the snow". The girl looked outside from her position in Miranda's lap, "Suddenly it isn't as appealing as it used to be". 

Andrea gave a sad smile as she held all three of them as closely as she could, she was saddened by the fact that her girls were no longer excited about the snow as they had been eager to get out in it when they were ill but could not do so although she was grateful that they couldn't go. The idea of losing the girls was something that she did not wish to ever think about let alone have to face. 

That day they would pack everything they needed into the car, packing it to the brim with the trunk being full along with the roof box, and even the footwells beneath Caroline and Cassidy's feet. Miranda had a bag with her too whilst each of the girls had a bag each that sat between them on the seat. They had packed toys and books for the girls, clothing, food, things that they would need for their newborn infant, and also items that held importance to them such as photos because they did not know when they would return to the city. 

It was a sad moment as they drove out of that basement garage and the door shut behind them, locking automatically. It was as if they were saying goodbye to their lives but they knew that it was for the best because there would only be so long before the power cut out and they ran out of food and drink. If they lost power then they would lose the filtration system that their water was coming through and they would lose the main heating too. 

Andrea reached out a hand after taking it off of the steering wheel for a moment and she gently squeezed Miranda's hand. The younger woman was more used to driving in the snow on the basis of where she had been born and so it was decided that she would drive until they got out of the city. The woman put her hand back on the steering wheel in order to concentrate on driving and Miranda put her hand to rest on her wife's thigh. 

When Andrea glanced in the mirror to check on the girls she saw that they were holding hands in a comforting manner with each other as they looked back in the direction of their home and hugging their bears in their spare hands. The bears had been a gift to them both when Andrea had miscarried her first child, the bears had helped the children cope with the loss, and they always took the bears with them whenever they could so they were something that would never have gotten left behind at the townhouse. 

All they could do was hope that one day it would be safe to return to their home but for now, the goal was simply to get to safety.

It had taken less than a day before the first cases of burns started arriving at the medical centres, then it was 3 days before they announced the emergency, 5 days before they decided to leave the city, 6 days before they arrived in the Hamptons away from the snow, 22 days before Andrea went into labour and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, 125 days before they started testing their vaccine on humans, 190 days before they started distributing the vaccine and cure to the very few remaining, 264 days before the snow stopped, and 364 days before the city was deemed as 'safe'. 

It had been almost a year, however, since they had left so when they returned to the city they found themselves returning to a city that they no longer knew. So many people had died in those early days of the snowstorm so they decided that they would pack up completely and return to their home in the Hamptons. Cassidy and Caroline were rather fond of their new school, Andrea was writing on a freelance basis, Miranda was enjoying spending time at home with her family, and the newest addition to their family was growing up healthily. It was not until they had been stood in the entrance hall of the townhouse until they realised that it simply was not home anymore.


End file.
